Taking a journey through decades of Viennese paintings, visitors of Gold in Motion can immerse themselves in the fascinating artworks of the 19th century. Collaboration of physical and digital art, Gold in Motion mainly displays Austrian symbolist Gustav Klimt’s artworks. Also called Théâtre des Lumières, the exhibition allows spectators to relive 19th century landscapes by providing unique experiences to interact with the art presented within the exhibition.

An integral artist showcased within the exhibition, Gustav Klimt is considered the pioneer of symbolism in art. Originally a literature movement popularized in late 19th century Europe, symbolism is an art form striving to express absolute truths of the world with metaphorical figures. Rejecting the early naturalistic styles of realist art, Klimt used symbolic elements to encapsulate psychological ideas in his paintings. It is for this reason, that Klimt is revered as the primal representative of Vienna Art Nouveau, a movement pursuing a new style of art by refusing to follow its predecessors.

Taking a Step into Gold in Motion

Gold in Motion is essentially an immersive art exhibition, allowing the audience to be physically absorbed in Klimt’s art pieces through a digital projection of them through enormous screens that encompass the space. Gold in Motion differentiates its style from conventional art exhibitions in that it transforms flat paintings into three-dimensional motion pictures. Accompanied by background instrumentals tailored to encapsulate the atmosphere for each display, the exhibition provides a visual and auditory experience for its audience.

Three main shows are displayed in the Théâtre des Lumières, including Gold in Motion. Klimt’s art pieces are exhibited through a 30-minute video with symbolistic styles, followed by a 20-minute show of Yves Klein’s Infinite Blue and a 10-minute feature of Verse and Memories. During the show, spectators can enter a hidden space behind the red tapestries, referred to as the “Green Room”. Surrounded by mirrors, the “Green Room” is a replication of a typical dressing room situated in Vienna. The audience can immerse themselves into the lives of actors preparing backstage within the “Green Room”, classified as a theme room exclusively created for the audience to enjoy.

One of the most outstanding pieces is Gustav Klimt’s Tree of Life. The swirling branches connote a myth that symbolizes the permanence of life, while the roots are deeply settled down into the ground. The exhibition adequately deforms the original color of the painting—contrasting a black backdrop with a gleaming gold-colored tree. With stereoscopic screen structures, the audience feels as if the branch of the tree is approaching. The image starts by presenting the root of the tree, spreading numerous branches to the next structure of the screen.

The Underlying Specialty of Gold in Motion

Gold in Motion’s art director, Gianfranco Iannuzzi, is an expert in creating cultural and artistic restorations of artworks with distinct styles. For Gold in Motion in particular, Iannuzzi aimed to “get the viewers out of the long-accepted passive position. Engaging the viewers into the center of the artwork, they feel like they are part of a performance on a grand stage,” as reported in his interview with the Théâtre des Lumières. Without the use of a physical canvas, Iannuzzi successfully introduced Viennese artists through vivid screens.

Gold in Motion is audience-friendly while being audience-driven; the creator of the art loses authority and disappears amongst the spectators who are invited to enjoy and interact with the artwork. Inside the large space, spectators can freely take pictures and appreciate the exhibition from various angles; the first floor enables the audience to get a closer view of the screen while the second floor allows them to take a step back from the whole structure and view the entire flow. Thus, similar to how Klimt helped Vienna’s artists to break paradigms in past days with original Art Nouveau styles, Iannuzzi desired the viewers to be free from passive appreciation.

One of the most notable features of the exhibition is how Iannuzzi incorporated the structure of the building into highlighting the beauty of the exhibition. Being 21 meters tall and 3,256 square meters wide, viewers are overwhelmed by the château-like atmosphere of the exhibition. While taking sofa breaks amidst their viewing, spectators can gaze at the changing scenes of art within Gold in Motion. Resting on the circular-shaped sofas, the audience steadily becomes one with the colorful artworks—the screen lights showering the sofa with glittering gold flower patterns and 19th-century decorations. Viewers can see white sofas shimmering with various colors by the light of projectors. For viewers who want a clear view of artworks, stairs lie ahead of the main screen, where a glamorous chandelier is situated on the ceiling. Thus, the harmony of the design and art contributes to “breathe a sense of novelty and power of the reborn spaces,” stated Iannuzzi in an interview with The Korea Times.

In closing, Gold in Motion allows viewers to peer into artists’ endeavors to find new forms of artistic styles and rethink the fundamental roles of color sensations. Through using colors as one of the symbols of Klimt’s taste, his art pieces may be the origin of perceiving color as a way of expressing emotions in contemporary arts. Instead of being confined to the pages of books and framed paintings, Gold in Motion provides a valuable experience for the audience to lead an interactive journey amongst the breathtaking aesthetics of 19th century Vienna art.

Exhibition Information

Title: Gustav Klimt-Gold in Motion

Venue: Théâtre des Lumières

Date: May 27, 2022 to March 5, 2023

Opening Hours: Monday-Thursday/Sunday- 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., Friday-Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.

Ticket Price: 25,000 for adults